Acts chapter 2. I get something on my mind sometimes,
and I'm sure you know this well. You just kind of sit there and
dwell on something, kind of wander off and dwell on it and think
about it. And if I dwell on it long enough, if I'm sitting there
thinking about it long enough, After a while, I start to wonder
if I should look it up in the scripture. I'll think about things
and think, well, maybe I ought to look it up and see what the
scripture has to say about it. And I was thinking about the
fellowship dinner we're going to have in a couple of hours.
I love the fellowship dinners that we have. I look forward to them. They
are a blessing to me. They're special to me. And the
reason I love them so much is because of you. The food is great,
don't get me wrong. But the reason I love them is
because of you. I do truly, and I mean this,
I thank God for you. I thank God for each and every
one of you. And I'm so grateful that our
Lord has brought us together in this fellowship. We call it,
and we put it in our bulletin, it's a fellowship dinner. And
I truly do thank God for bringing us into this fellowship. And
I started thinking about what this is. what we have here, what
this is, what our Lord has called us into. He has mercifully and
lovingly included us into something. And there's a unity about it. There is a oneness about it. There's a true love about it. And as I was thinking about all
of that, this is the scripture that came to my mind. Right here
in Acts chapter 2, verse 42 specifically, but I want to read from verse
41 to verse 47. Acts 2 41 says, then they that
gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day they
were added unto them about 3,000 souls. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of
bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul
and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles and all
that believed were together and had all things common. and sold
their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every
man had need. And they, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to
house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people And the Lord
added to the church daily such as should be saved. Is that not
beautiful? Is that not absolutely beautiful?
The love, the unity of that fellowship. Does that not warm our heart
and make us thankful, make us truly thankful and joyful over
what he has brought us into? Verse 42 said, They continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Now this right here,
this that we're holding and reading is the apostles' doctrine, the
Word of God. They continued steadfastly in
the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and
in prayers. They gathered around the Word
together. They gathered around the table
together. And they gathered before the Father in prayer. They brought each other before
God in prayer. Fellowship. Fellowship. The bond that God gives to his
people, that true bond. Now this morning I want us to
have a Bible study, a word study throughout this Bible. We're
going to study the word fellowship. We're going to see what this
is, what it means, and what he has called us into exactly. I found a few scriptures that
clearly pointed out, very clearly pointed out, and I pray the Lord
will bless it. I pray he'll give us a greater
appreciation of what he's brought us into through this. Here's
the first one. Go with me over to 1 Corinthians
chapter 1. First Corinthians 1, look with
me at verse 9. It says, God is faithful by whom
you were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord. That says it all, doesn't it?
That says it all. How did this whole thing happen?
How did we get here? How were our eyes open? How were
we brought to this knowledge and brought to this truth and
brought to this gospel? How did all this take place?
God is faithful. That's where it started. That's
where it started. God is faithful. He called us
into it. We ought to never cease being
amazed at God's goodness and God's mercy toward his people. He just chose us. He just chose
us. God is faithful. Amazing grace. He just chose us. That's all
you can say about it. Verse 9 says, God is faithful
by whom you were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord. That word of is an important
word. Very important. We're going to
see in a minute the word with. Right now this says of. This fellowship is the fellowship
of His Son. It is because of His Son. This fellowship comes from His
Son. It didn't come from me. It didn't
come from my decision. It didn't come from my anything.
This is of His Son. It comes from Him. It's His fellowship. The fellowship of Jesus Christ
our Lord. That's what we've been called
into. That's our foundation. And it is true. He's the foundation
of our fellowship, isn't it? We say all the time, we're different,
aren't we? We're all different. We have
one thing in common. He is the foundation of our fellowship. If it was not for the Son of
God, if it was not for the Son of God, we wouldn't have any
true grounds for fellowship. None whatsoever. We are fellows
in the same ship. That's what this is. Fellows
in the same ship. And that ship is Christ. It's
Christ. Now what does that mean? What
does it mean that we're in the fellowship of Christ? Look with
me over at Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians chapter 3 verse 9 says, and to make all see. That word men was added by the
translators. You know that? If you have italics
in your Bible, those italicized words were added by the translators. Paul is not saying that God has
made all men see. Over in, you don't have to turn,
chapter 1, verse 1, he said, I'm writing to the faithful in
Christ Jesus. He went on down through Ephesians
1 to say, chosen in him, didn't he? Adopted by Christ unto himself. Isn't that who he's talking to?
That's who the whole epistle is written to. So right here
in verse 9, he said, and to make all of those chosen, adopted,
faithful in Christ, to make all see what is the fellowship of
the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in
God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to be in the fellowship
of His Son. is to be in the fellowship of
the mystery. That's what it is, the fellowship
of the mystery. The gospel, let me tell you this,
the truth is such a mystery. The truth is such a mystery. It was hid in God from the foundation
of the world. Completely hid to man from the
foundation of the world. Look at verse 1 right here in
chapter 3. For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ
for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of
the grace of God which is given me to youward, how that by revelation
he made known unto me the mystery. As I wrote afore in a few words,
whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto
the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit." What is this mystery? What is
this mystery? We've been called into the fellowship
of the mystery. What is it? Paul wrote to Timothy, he told
him, great is the mystery of godliness. He said God was manifest
in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh.
Do you have any idea how many people do not understand that God was manifest in the
flesh? You have any idea how many people
do not understand that when Jesus Christ came, when Jesus Christ
came to this earth, God was manifest in the flesh. You realize that? That was God. That was God. Paul told Timothy, and I'll tell
you why that's so important. Here's why. We need to understand
this. God does not need my help or else he's not God. Isn't that
right? If he needs my help and if he
can't do it without me, I'm God. Isn't that right? If he's waiting and as soon as
I'll I'm God. No. Yes. That was God. That was God. Paul told Timothy, great is the
mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. God was justified in the spirit. God walked this earth perfectly. God did it. God was seen of angels
walking out of that tomb. That was God. God was preached unto the Gentiles. God was believed on in the world,
and God was received up into glory. That was God. He was God. If that was God, He did not come
to make anything possible. I want to say that five more
times. One more time. If that was God,
I mean let's just for one minute think about what it means to
be God. The one who has no beginning and
no end. The one who knows the end from
the beginning. The all-powerful. If that was
God, then He did not go through all that and come to make anything
possible. He came to make it finished. And that's what He said. When
He hung on that cross, He did not cry at the top of His voice. It is possible. And I'm going to tell you this,
God can't lie. If God said it's finished, it's finished. I mean,
it's finished. And if it's not finished, it's
not finished. If it's almost finished, it's
not finished. My kids, you know, go clean your room. Did you finish
it? Oh, yeah. No, you didn't. It's
not finished. If it's finished, it's finished.
Ephesians 1, I got to hurry, but go to Ephesians 1. Verse
7, in whom we have redemption through His blood. And you know
what redemption means? Paid in full. Completely reinstated. Total redemption. Where is it? Through His blood. The forgiveness
of sins according to the riches of His grace. wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known
unto us the mystery of his will. According to his good pleasure,
which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness in times, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, in him. God just declares things. He
doesn't kind of put the feelers out there and see what we think.
He just declares it. This is how it is. How it is.
So to be called into the fellowship of his son is to be called into
the fellowship of the mystery. Now look with me at Philippians
chapter 1. One book over. Philippians 1. Philippians 1 verse 1, Paul and
Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ
Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons, grace
be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you. Always in every prayer of mine
for you all. making request with joy for your
fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. That's what we have. That's what
we have. We have fellowship in the gospel. You know what we love? I'll just
go ahead and tell you what you love, because I know what it
is. In just a little bit, we're going
to drive out there to that beautiful park. And I love that park. I was thinking, I'm so thankful
for the Eastman Corporation. God allowed a man to create the
Eastman Corporation. God blessed it with a big old
pile of money so they could go build that beautiful park, and
now we get to go enjoy it. And I'm so thankful for that.
But we're all going to drive out there, we're going to sit
around together, and we're going to eat lunch together. We're
going to fellowship. And do you know what will be
the best part of it all? It's if somebody will bring up
the gospel. while we're sitting around in
our little groups and we'll get up from that group and go sit
with this group and if somebody will bring up the gospel. Now
we can talk about other things, there's nothing wrong with that.
Nothing at all. But what will cause our hearts
to rejoice with encouragement, with comfort, is if somebody
will bring up the subject of how a sinner is justified before
God. If somebody would do that. How
a sinner is justified before God. And the answer is a person. A person. The gospel is a person. The gospel is a person. I say right now with the Apostle
Paul, I thank my God for your fellowship in the blood of a
person. your fellowship around the blood
of a person from the first day that he started this fellowship
all the way up until right now. I thank God for it. Verse 6,
he said, being confident of this very thing that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ. You know what he didn't say right
there? As long as you keep on keeping on. He said, I'm confident
of this. He that started it It wasn't
you, it was Him. He'll perform it. He'll take
care of it. He will do it. God does it all,
start to finish. He started it, He'll perform
it all the way to the end. He'll perform it until the day
the trumpets resound. They're gonna resound. I'm telling you, one of these
days, and I hope it's during a message. I hope somehow He
has the whole world in a message. Both here and in China. And right
in the middle of, he gives everybody a heart to preach from John 1.
Behold the Lamb. John cried, Behold the Lamb.
There he is. And all of a sudden, here they ring. It's kind of
cloudy outside. I was wondering if it's going
to rain on us. If it does, that's of God. But all the clouds are
going to roll back. The Lord himself will descend.
He'll perform it all the way to the finish line. To be in
the fellowship of His Son is to be in the fellowship of this
mystery. It's to be in the fellowship of the gospel. Look with me at
Philippians 2 verse 1. If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, If any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy that you be
like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Our fellowship
is in the actual Spirit of God Almighty. Isn't that amazing? God sends His Spirit. He sends it with quickening power. Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove,
with all thy quickening power. God's Spirit comes with life.
He comes with faith, the faith of Christ. He moves on the heart. He moves on the mind. And he
begins conforming that sinful child into the image of Christ. He starts changing everything.
He starts changing this. He starts changing this. It's
called repentance. He brings repentance. He gives
every soul that he is sent to the exact same heart. in the exact same mind. Verse
5 says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under
the earth. and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. I love this thought. I love this
thought. Verse 10 says, At the name of
Jesus, at the announcement of His name, every knee should bow
of things in heaven, things in the earth, and things under the
earth. It said things in heaven. You know, we're going to get
there. And you know how many people are going to be in God's
kingdom, in God's heaven? No man can number. It's going
to be oceans and oceans and oceans and oceans of people. And Michael the Archangel or
God the Father himself or somebody is going to present all hail
Jesus Christ. And at the name of Jesus Christ,
every knee in heaven is going to go. And every tongue is going
to confess, He is Lord. Can you imagine that? It's going
to sound like the voice of many waters. He is Lord. I can gather around that. I can rejoice in that. To be
in the fellowship of His Son is to be in the fellowship of
the mystery. It's to be in the fellowship of the gospel. It's
to be in the fellowship of the Spirit. Look with me at Philippians
3 verse 10. That I may know him. Paul just
right here said all my religion, everything I did, everything
I earned, I was so proud of this, so proud of that, such a good
boy. He said I counted all dung. That's the kindest word that
could be put right there. He said I threw it all out. Verse
10 he said that I may know him. and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his
death. The fellowship of his sufferings,
that's the fellowship that we have mercifully, savingly been
called into. That right there is what unites
us. That is truly what unites us. All of his sufferings were sufferings
that we were supposed to endure. All of them. We did all the sinning
alone. We did it by ourselves, alone. And we were supposed to suffer
for it, alone. But God, God, by His Spirit, through His
Gospel, He allowed us into the fellowship of the sufferings
of Christ. That's what He did. He joined
Himself to us. He made Himself to be in fellowship
with us and He suffered for us. He suffered for us. We suffered
in Him. That is the reason we have been
brought together. That's the whole reason. That's what has given us this
love for each other and love for Him. That's the reason. And
it's because we know that we all suffered together in Him. together. We're all truly fellows
in the same ship. We did this together. That bond
that comes through a trauma. People go through a trauma and
they share that bond together. Well, we experienced great suffering
together in him. So the fellowship of his son
is the fellowship of this great mystery. It's the fellowship
of this glorious gospel. It's the fellowship of His Spirit.
It's the fellowship of His suffering. And now, here's the end result. Here's the end result of the
fellowship. Go with me to 1 John 1. First John chapter 1 verse 1
says, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and
our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was
manifested and we have seen and bear witness and show unto you
that eternal life, which was with the father and was manifested
unto us. That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with
us. And truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We started this
by saying of His Son. And it is of his son, it's by
him, it's through him, it's to him. But the end result of his
goodness is fellowship with. That is just, that's wonderful. Our Lord said, Father, I will
that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. that they may behold my glory,
which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world." The glory of our fellowship is knowing that we're
going to be with Him throughout eternity. That's the glory of
it. That's the rejoicing of it. We're going to be with Him throughout
eternity, spiritually now, in reality then. I mean in absolute
reality. So I just want to close this. By saying I love you by God's
grace, I love you. I truly do, but because of Christ.
Because of all of his. Doing everything we just saw,
I love you, I love worshiping the true and living God with
you. And I pray the Lord will bless our fellowship today. I
do. I pray the Lord will bless. We're
about to sing some songs. I pray the Lord will bless it.
I pray the Lord will let us enter into the words. A man's going
to read scripture in a minute. I pray the Lord will bless it.
He's going to pray for us. I pray the Lord will bless it.
We're going to have a message. I pray God will bless it. And
we're going to go eat lunch. I pray God will bless it. Bless
it.